How would you describe yourself as an Aurora Chaser? If you really get into Aurora Chasing, I think it helps to determine what your goals are while you are pursuing the Northern Lights.

What is it that you are setting out to see or do? Are you interested in catching one display, several of the really powerful and visibly stunning shows, or every variation of Northern Lights you can possibly imagine? Do you hope to photograph or video the Aurora, or will you simply watch it dance?

Believe it or not, there are different levels of Aurora Chasing. These are not official distinctions, but rather a sort of unspoken understanding among people who share this passion. You might notice people who identify as newcomers or first-time chasers. You might see us use the term “seasoned chaser.” And you might hear about or know of people who are considered “hardcore” or “extreme” Aurora Chasers.

Beneath the surface, I think there’s a reason we talk about the thrill of Aurora Chasing this way. Let me see if I can break it down.

Eleven Types of Aurora Chasers

Since this is a creative blog, I’ll caution the reader that this list is probably not all-inclusive, and I may drop in to edit it at any time to capture more details or provide a fuller picture.

1. The Bucket Lister
   A type of first-time viewer, this group falls in a category of their own. While they have never seen the Northern Lights, they hope to do so at least once before the end of their life. The Aurora is a common thing to find on a bucket list, but it is known for its rare and unpredictable nature. Bucket listers may find it harder to check this one off than they expect. The best bet is to wait patiently until they see live Aurora sightings posted on social media or plan a trip to the polar regions during clear weather. Even then, there are no guarantees with the Aurora!
2. First-time Aurora Viewer
   First-time viewers have perhaps the most difficulty catching the Northern Lights. In part, this is because they have never seen it in real life, and they don’t know what signs to look for. They might also be expecting vivid colors, and unfortunately at lower latitudes, the colors do not always appear to the eye. In fact, some first-timers really need to see live sightings of Aurora posted online in order to know when and where to look, and confirm what they are seeing. The good news is there’s lots of advice to get started.
3. The Naked Eye Chaser
   Interested more in the experience than the work of producing Aurora photography, this Aurora Chaser sets out to see the Northern Lights with their own eyes. While displays this powerful are a common occurrence in the northernmost parts of the world, they can be rare in the lower 48 states of the U.S. So, these chasers need to be on alert for strong aurora activity and high numbers of hemispheric power or high numbers on the K-Index. In the northern states, we usually need a geomagnetic storm to produce this kind of color, and we need other factors to align as well. These chasers will be looking for Aurora at Kp5 (a G1 Storm) or higher.
4. Novice Aurora Photographer, or a Camera-Only Chaser
   Anyone who carries a camera of any kind improves their chances of catching the Northern Lights, especially if they know to point the camera to the northern horizon before they are seeing anything and take a snapshot regardless. Even before using editing software, cameras can display any light and color that is present in the sky, whereas human’s are limited by their night vision. On location, a camera can show you the Northern Lights even before you can see it yourself. This may be a sign of stronger activity to come. While everyone enjoys catching displays that are vivid to the naked eye, these chasers benefit from being able to see Aurora that are not visible to the eye, too.
5. The Resident Skywatcher
   Oh, to be so lucky! Even in Michigan, especially in the Upper Peninsula, there are those of us who were fortunate enough to grow up under clear, dark skies outside of light-polluted areas in northern locations, where you can see the Aurora all the time. Often, these are the folks who share advice by simply saying “look up!” In their experience, on an active night, that’s all you have to do to see the Aurora dance, and they may now be accustomed to seeing it fairly often.
6. The Aurora Road Tripper
   On the other hand, there are many city slickers or people who have lived in very populated areas where it is tough to find skies dark enough to see vibrant Aurora. These people often do not plan on seeing the Northern Lights unless they drive to a darker location for better viewing. Of course, this also applies to those who live too far south to catch the Aurora. Or it can apply to people who want to be in the most unique or scenic place possible when they catch the Northern Lights.
7. The Seasoned Aurora Chaser
   I like to think of the seasoned Aurora Chaser as someone who has caught so many Aurora that they understand how unpredictable, difficult, sporadic , subtle, colorful, or powerful the Aurora can be. To me, this means someone who has witnessed many Aurora inside of one year, or they have been chasing for several years, or they have seen many different types of Aurora displays, or perhaps they have been successfully chasing for decades. They know so much about the Northern Lights, even if only from experience, that they have a deep understanding of how it appears.
8. The Scientist
   Whether they have seen a lot of Aurora or not, the scientist knows everything there is to know about this rare natural phenomenon. A bold claim! Let’s face it, they are only trying to know everything there is to know about this unpredictable emerging science! The scientist can be academically or professionally trained or even self-taught, but either way, they have studied Space Weather, solar activity, and the Earth’s magnetic field enough to tell you exactly what is happening at any given point in time — as long as the activity is registering somewhere on a satellite or spacecraft. They may have written essays, authored scientific papers or even launched their own enterprise as an entrepreneur to help advance the understanding of geomagnetic activity and its impacts.
9. Experienced Aurora Photographer/Videographer/Painter, or “The Advanced Artist”
   Not only are these people experienced Aurora Chasers, but they also have exceptional photos, videos, time-lapses or paintings to prove it. They have years of experience, typically, or at least dozens of encounters to draw imagery and experience from, and they often have a deep understanding of the night sky due to their interest in astrophotography and proficiency in astronomy apps and planning. These chasers may have the best experience of viewing the color of the Northern Lights, because they are skilled enough to draw out the many colors on any camera in any setting.
10. Hardcore Aurora Chaser
    This Aurora Chaser is the type you can bet your life on. They know the science, forecasting and nature of the Aurora Borealis, and they spend enough time in the places where the Northern Lights dance that they have legit outdoors and survival skills too. Whether they come up against winter blizzards, wildcats or bears, they will most likely know what to do — or improvise enough to get by — and they will go to the ends of the Earth to catch the coolest Aurora. No matter what the conditions!
11. The Lifer
    Similar to the Hardcore chaser, The Lifer is a good person to know. They may or may not take great risks to experience the Northern Lights in all types of environments, but they are as devoted to the passion of Aurora Chasing as they come. Few can match their understanding or insight when it comes to the Aurora, they often share their knowledge generously, and they will never quit. This chaser has plans and goals, and no doubt, many of the milestones they will work toward in their lifetime center on the Northern Lights. They might aim to travel to the polar regions in search of brilliant Aurora Borealis or travel to catch the Aurora Australis near the south pole. They might be on a quest to see every kind of Aurora out there, from dunes to corona and STEVE. Or they might be an advocate of dark skies or a contributor to citizen science. For them, it’s simple: Aurora is Life.

Of course, it’s possible to identify with more than one of these levels and pursue several types of experiences simultaneously, regardless of where you live.

If you fall into one of the first three categories, the Northern Lights are going to be much more difficult to catch, unless you get very lucky on your first try! Unfortunately, Aurora are not always visible to eye in the lower 48 states of the U.S., so while you might expect to go out and see brilliant colors, what you actually find will often be more subtle light or movement — or you may have trouble viewing any Aurora at all. The trick, here, is that if you wait for stronger conditions, like a G2 Storm (aka Kp6), you will improve your chances of seeing vibrant colors.

On the other hand, if you fall into one of the last five categories, catching the Aurora will be much easier for you — even as elusive as this rare, natural phenomenon is! Just like anyone else, you will need patience to catch a brilliant display, but… If you know, you know! And you do. You know what it takes!

Anyone can move between the categories, too. It takes time, experience and most of all study — or reading as much as you can — to advance and become a Next Level chaser. Just keep at it, and don’t let a few failures discourage you.

Once you have some idea of what kind of Aurora Chaser you hope to be, you can find an Aurora Forecasting technique that works for you.

Photo by Dre Erwin.